China swiftly responded to the new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump by imposing its own 10 to 15 percent increase on import duties for a variety of American agricultural and food products. Additionally, China imposed export and investment restrictions on 25 U.S. companies.
This retaliation followed the U.S. decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 20 percent and to introduce 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, intensifying trade tensions with the top three U.S. trade partners.
According to China’s finance ministry, Beijing will impose a 15 percent tariff on U.S. chicken, wheat, corn, and cotton, and a 10 percent levy on U.S. soybeans, sorghum, pork, beef, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and dairy imports, starting March 10.
China’s commerce ministry also stated that the U.S.’s unilateral tariffs violate World Trade Organization rules and damage the foundation for trade cooperation between the two nations. “China will firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests,” the ministry said.
Trump’s Tariffs on China
The additional 10 percent tariff that President Trump had threatened to impose on China took effect at 0501 GMT on March 4, bringing the total tariff to 20 percent in response to what the U.S. views as China’s failure to address drug trafficking.
This new 20 percent tariff is in addition to the tariffs of up to 25 percent imposed by Trump during his first term on about $370 billion worth of U.S. imports. Under President Joe Biden, these tariffs were increased on some products, including a 50 percent tariff on Chinese semiconductors and over 100 percent on Chinese electric vehicles.
The 20 percent tariff also applies to major U.S. consumer electronics from China, such as smartphones, laptops, video game consoles, smartwatches, speakers, and Bluetooth devices, which were previously unaffected by earlier tariffs.
The U.S. claims that China is a supplier of chemicals used in fentanyl production, although China denies these allegations.
